TSU's Lewis hopes to benefit from second chance

Tennessee State offensive tackle Cornelius Lewis sounded a little bit like Alex Rodriguez on Thursday at the NFL Combine as he offered an explanation for past transgressions.

“I was young and dumb and started hanging out with the wrong crowd,” said Lewis, whose two positive marijuana tests got him kicked off the team at Florida State before he landed at TSU.

“I talked it over with family and they supported me and I knew I could still make it through,” Lewis said.

He also had academic issues to deal with before becoming eligible to finish his college career with the Tigers.

Lewis wound up at Tennessee State because Tigers coach James Webster, who had recruited him when Webster was in North Carolina, decided to give him another chance.

“He wanted me to focus in and they tested me at TSU and made sure I stayed on the right path,” Lewis said.

Among the teams to meet with the 6-4, 332-pounder have been the Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills.

“They come up and asked me about it. They asked me to see if I was going to be straight up. I tell them the same thing. I was young and hanging out with the wrong crowd. I made some mistakes; it was my first time away from home,” Lewis said.